Tarris Reed Jr. and Ja’Kobi Gillespie are auditioning for two Spurs jobs up for review next summer

Luke Kornet and Jordan McLaughlin may need to count their days. Tarris Reed Jr. had 10 rebounds six minutes into his stint in Monday night's game in Salt Lake City. Six of them came on the offensive glass.

He finished with 17 boards (eight offensive), four steals, and a block in 24 minutes of San Antonio's 119-109 loss to the Jazz. In the same game, Ja'Kobi Gillespie led every player on the floor with 25 points on 9-of-14 shooting.

Victor Wembanyama, De'Aaron Fox, Stephon Castle, Devin Vassell, and Dylan Harper all sat, but Utah played their starters for a good chunk of the game. That gave us a chance to see what the draft picks could do against real NBA competition, and they didn't disappoint. It's still only the preseason, but Reed and Gillespie are showing early signs of being two home run draft picks for the Silver and Black.

Tarris Reed Jr. could make the Spurs look like geniuses

Trading back into the first round to grab the former UConn center at 26 could prove to be the most important transaction of the 2026 NBA Draft. Reed boasts a 6'10", 270-pound frame that allows him to do exactly what he did on Monday. The four steals were a team high. We shouldn't just skip past that, by the way.

"I feel like it was a good job, a good step forward on the glass today, knowing that was the emphasis for this team." Tarris Reed Jr.

He pulled down almost 20 rebounds and still criticized himself, telling Tom Orsborn of the San Antonio Express-News that Dan Hurley would have been yelling at him for finishing with just 17 after he already had 10 at the half. That's the kind of player Spurs Nation wants on this roster.

Luke Kornet isn't losing his job in October. He's a legitimately good backup center, and he earned that role. But his deal has a built-in exit, as only $2.55 million of his 2027-28 money is guaranteed unless SA keeps him past June 30 next summer. If Reed keeps rebounding like this and grows fast enough, that decision will make itself.

Gillespie brought more than a hot shooting night

Efficiency was Ja'Kobi's middle name in Utah, but he also dished out three assists and added three steals in his 25 minutes of action. His shooting made his box score gaudy. His handle and decision-making were what caught my eye, and I'm not the only one the ex-Volunteer is impressing.

With four years in college, Gillespie's ability to run an offense isn't a complete surprise, but there's a difference between orchestrating and doing it while establishing yourself as a threat. The second-rounder did the latter in a big way. He used his ball-handling and quickness to break down the defense, opening up opportunities for his teammates.

Jordan McLaughlin had 14 and six himself on Monday. But the seven-year vet is on a one-year, $3.29 million deal and hits free agency next summer. Gillespie is a two-way guy with a ton of promise, and in an ideal world, he'll take that spot next season. He's younger, taller, and more dynamic on both ends of the floor.

Neither Reed nor Gillespie is guaranteed to be a great contributor. But nothing is guaranteed in this league, and early returns are good. At this rate, both will prove to be valuable depth pieces at minimum. Believe that.

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